Hinge device and portable electronic device

ABSTRACT

This hinge device comprises: a hinge element  10  which, along with being made up from an axis body  14  and a hinge main body, is made so that the axis body  14  has a predetermined torque characteristic around an axis relative to said hinge main body; a lock mechanism  30  (a first lock member which has an engagement cutaway  31   b,  and a second lock member which is biased by a spring  32  in the forwards direction and has an engagement body  34   b ) which functions so as to lock rotational movement of the axis body  14  around the axis; and a lock release mechanism  40  (a push button  40  having a projection  43 ) for releasing the locking by the lock mechanism  30.  Due to this, it is not necessary for a separate lock mechanism or the like to be provided to a portable electronic device, and it becomes possible to provide a hinge device which contributes to simplification and reduction of space of a portable electronic device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a hinge device for implementing ahinged coupling. Furthermore, it relates to a portable electronic devicewhich includes such a hinge device.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, along with the development of electronic technique,various sorts of portable electronic devices have come into widespreaduse, such as portable telephones, portable computers (including bothones which are equipped with a wireless communication function and oneswhich are not), electronic notebooks, electronic games machines and thelike.

With these portable electronic devices, sometimes it is performed toprovide a flip lid which is free to open and close to the portableelectronic device. For example, with a portable telephone which is atypical example of such a portable electronic device, there are knownboth a flip lid type in which a flip lid is fitted to the main body ofthe portable telephone so that it is free to open and close, and anintegral type which has no flip lid. Nowadays the integral type isbecoming the mainstream one, from the point of view of weight reductionand convenience.

However there is a demand for increase of the compatibility of bothtypes, due to the merits of the flip lid type in terms of prevention oferroneous switch actuation, increased compactness, diversity of design,and the like.

With the type of portable electronic device which is equipped with theabove described kind of flip lid, there is a demand to perform openingand closing of the flip lid easily by one-touch operation.

When a prior art hinge device has been applied for connecting the fliplid to the main body of the portable telephone, it has been necessary toprovide a lock mechanism for the flip lid and a drive mechanism such asa button or the like for releasing this lock, separately from the hingedevice. Due to this, the problems arise that the number of parts becomeslarge, it is necessary to provide space for them, etc.

The present invention has been conceived in the light of the abovecircumstances, and its objective is to provide a hinge device whichcontributes to simplification and compactness of the structure of aportable electronic device by making it unnecessary to provide thedevice with a separate mechanism for opening and closing its locking.

Furthermore, an objective of the present invention is to provide aportable electronic device to which this type of hinge device isapplied.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The hinge device according to a first aspect of the present inventioncomprises: a hinge element which is made up from an axis body and ahinge main body and which is constructed so that the axis body possessesa predetermined torque characteristic around a rotational axis withrespect to the hinge main body; a lock mechanism which functions so asto lock rotational movement of the axis body around the rotational axis;and a lock release mechanism for releasing locking by the lockmechanism.

In the hinge device according to a second aspect of the presentinvention, the hinge main body is assembled to a first assembly memberand the axis body is assembled to a second assembly member, the torquecharacteristic, when the rotation of the axis body is locked by the lockmechanism, possesses a torque characteristic such as to bias the firstand second assembly members in the direction to mutually contact oneanother.

In the hinge device according to a third aspect of the presentinvention, the hinge main body is assembled to a first assembly memberand the axis body is assembled to a second assembly member, the torquecharacteristic, at the moment that the locking by the lock mechanism hasbeen released by the lock release mechanism, possesses a torquecharacteristic such as to rotate the first and second assembly membersin the direction to mutually separate from one another.

In the hinge device according to a fourth aspect of the presentinvention, the lock mechanism comprises a first lock member which isprovided on the side of the axis body so as to be unable to moverotationally relative to the axis body, and a second lock member whichis provided on the side of the hinge main body so as to be unable tomove rotationally relative to the hinge main body; the lock function bythe lock mechanism is provided by concave and convex engagement of thesefirst and second lock members; and the lock release mechanism is amechanism which can release the concave and convex engagement.

In the hinge device according to a fifth aspect of the presentinvention, the first lock member comprises a stopper portion; the secondlock member comprises an engagement body which can engage with respectto the stopper portion, and which is biased in the direction towards thefirst lock member by a biasing means; the lock function by the lockmechanism is provided by the engagement body engaging into the stopperportion; and the lock release mechanism is constituted by a push buttonwhich is provided on the side of the axis body and which comprises aprojection which can be inserted into the stopper portion, and, by theprojection being inserted into the stopper portion, the engagement bodyis pushed in against the resistance of the biasing force due to thebiasing means, and thereby the lock is released.

In the hinge device according to a sixth aspect of the presentinvention, the surface of the engagement body which is pushed in by theprojection is formed as a sloping surface, and thereby the pushing inforce of the projection is converted into a shift force in the sidewaysdirection of the projection and also into a rotational force of the pushbutton.

In the hinge device according to a seventh aspect of the presentinvention, the lock mechanism comprises a first lock member which isprovided on the side of the axis body so as to be unable to moverotationally relative to the axis body, and a second lock member whichis provided on the side of the hinge main body so as to be unable tomove rotationally relative to the hinge main body; the lock function bythe lock mechanism is provided by concave and convex engagement of theaxis body and the second lock member; and the lock release mechanism isa mechanism which can release the concave and convex engagement.

In the hinge device according to an eighth aspect of the presentinvention, the second lock member comprises an axis portion which passesthrough the axis body extending along its axis, and which is biased soas to contact against the axis body by a biasing means; and the lockrelease mechanism is constituted by a push button which is linked to theaxis portion of the second lock member, and, by the push button beingpushed in, the second lock member is separated from the axis bodyagainst the resistance of the biasing force due to the biasing means,and thereby the lock is released.

In the hinge device according to a ninth aspect of the presentinvention, upon the concave and convex engagement surfaces of the axisbody and the second lock member, there are provided sloping portionswhich guide an engagement convex portion into an engagement concaveportion.

A portable electronic device according to a tenth aspect of the presentinvention comprises a portable electronic device main body and a fliplid which is linked to the portable electronic device main body so as tobe able to open and shut with respect thereto, at at least one of bothend portions in the widthwise direction of a linking region of the fliplid with respect to the portable electronic device main body, linking ofthe portable electronic device main body and the flip lid is performedvia a hinge device according to the preceding aspects of the presentinvention.

The portable electronic device according to an eleventh aspect of thepresent invention comprises a portable electronic device main body and aflip lid which is linked to the portable electronic device main body soas to be able to open and shut with respect thereto, at at least one ofboth end portions in the widthwise direction of a linking region of theflip lid with respect to the portable electronic device main body,linking of the portable electronic device main body and the flip lid isperformed via a hinge device according to the second aspect; in theclosed state of the flip lid with respect to the portable electronicdevice main body, locking is performed by the lock mechanism; and, basedupon the torque characteristic of the hinge element, the flip lid, inthe closed state of the flip lid, is biased in the further closingdirection with respect to the portable electronic device main body.

The portable electronic device according to a twelfth aspect of thepresent invention comprises a portable electronic device main body and aflip lid which is linked to the portable electronic device main body soas to be able to open and shut with respect thereto, at at least one ofboth end portions in the widthwise direction of a linking region of theflip lid with respect to the portable electronic device main body,linking of the portable electronic device main body and the flip lid isperformed via a hinge device according to the third aspect; in theclosed state of the flip lid with respect to the portable electronicdevice main body, locking is performed by the lock mechanism; and, basedupon the torque characteristic of the hinge element, the flip lid, atthe instant when the locking by the lock mechanism is released, isopened away from the portable electronic device main body.

According to the first aspect, by the hinge device including the lockmechanism and the lock release mechanism in addition to the hingeelement, it is not necessary to provide any separate lock mechanism orlock release mechanism for opening and closing on the side of a deviceto which this hinge device is applied, and simplification and reductionof space of the device are attained.

According to the second aspect, if the hinge main body is assembled tothe first assembly member (for example, a portable electronic devicemain body) and moreover the axis body is assembled to the secondassembly member (for example, the flip lid), then, by the torquecharacteristic having a torque characteristic, when locking is beingperformed by the lock mechanism (for example, the closed state of theflip lid with respect to the portable electronic device main body), suchas to bias the first and second assembly members in the direction tomutually contact one another, the first and second assembly member donot uselessly rattle together (it is possible to bias them in theclosing direction, and there is no rattling ?? in the openingdirection).

According to the third aspect, if the hinge main body is assembled tothe first assembly member (for example, a portable electronic devicemain body) and moreover the axis body is assembled to the secondassembly member (for example, the flip lid), then, by the torquecharacteristic having a torque characteristic, at the moment that thelocking by the lock mechanism has been released by the lock releasemechanism, such as to rotate the first and second assembly members inthe direction to mutually separate them from one another, thereby theopening action of the first and second assembly members is performedwith a so-called one-touch action by driving the lock release mechanism(the opening action of the flip lid from the portable electronic devicemain body is performed with a one-touch action).

According to the fourth aspect, the lock function is simply provided byimplementing the lock function of the lock mechanism by concave andconvex engagement of the first and the second lock members.

According to the fifth aspect, by biasing the second lock member by thebiasing means, the engagement of the engagement body with respect to thestopper portion of the first lock member is assisted, and moreovermaintenance of the engaged state is implemented. The lock is released bythe projection of the push button which provides the lock releasefunction being inserted into the stopper portion, and by the engagementbody being pushed in against the resistance of the biasing force of thebiasing means.

According to the sixth aspect, by forming the surface upon theengagement body which is pushed in by the projection as a slopingsurface, thereby the pushing in force of the projection is convertedinto a shift force in the sideways direction of the projection and alsois converted into a rotational force of the push button. When the hingemain body is assembled to the first assembly member and the axis body isassembled to the second assembly member, at the time of lock release,this rotational force can be taken advantage of for mutually separatingthe first and the second assembly members from one another, and itassists the opening operation of the first and the second assemblymembers (in the case of a flip lid and a portable electronic device, itis taken advantage of as flip lid opening up force, and it assists theopening operation).

According to the seventh aspect, the lock function is even more simplyprovided by implementing the lock function of the lock mechanism byconcave and convex engagement of the axis body and the second lockmember.

According to the eighth aspect, by biasing the second lock member by thebiasing means, the concave and convex engagement with the axis body isassisted, and moreover maintenance of the concave and convex engagementstate is implemented. Furthermore, since the push button which providesthe lock release function is linked to the axis portion of the secondlock member which is passed through the axis body, when the push buttonis pressed, the second lock member is separated from the axis bodyagainst the resistance of the biasing force of the biasing means, andthe lock is released.

According to the ninth aspect, when the engagement convex portionapproaches relatively to the concave engagement portion and come upon asloping portion of the concave engagement portion, the convex engagementportion is guided along the sloping portion of the concave engagementportion into the concave engagement portion. Accordingly, the operationduring concave and convex engagement becomes smooth.

According to the tenth aspect, by linking the portable electronic devicemain body and the flip lid via the above described type of hinge device,it is not necessary to provide any separate lock mechanism or lockrelease mechanism for opening and closing to the portable electronicdevice main body or to the flip lid, and simplification and reduction ofspace of the portable electronic device are attained.

According to the eleventh aspect, along with linking the portableelectronic device main body and the flip lid via a hinge deviceaccording to the second aspect, by locking with the lock mechanism inthe closed state of the flip lid with respect to the portable electronicdevice main body, in the closed state, the flip lid is biased in thefurther closing direction with respect to the portable electronic devicemain body based upon the torque characteristic of the hinge element. Dueto this, rattling of the flip lid in the opening direction is prevented.

According to the twelfth aspect, along with linking the portableelectronic device main body and the flip lid via a hinge deviceaccording to the third aspect, by locking with the lock mechanism in theclosed state of the flip lid with respect to the portable electronicdevice main body, at the instant that the locking is released, the fliplid opens up away from the portable electronic device main body basedupon the torque characteristic of the hinge element. In other words, theopening operation of the flip lid from the portable electronic devicemain body is performed by so-called one-touch lock release operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first example of a hinge element forthe hinge device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of a cam shape for thehinge element of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a second example of a hinge element forthe hinge device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3 as seen along the arrows IV—IV.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the hinge device ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the hinge device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a right side view showing the hinge device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a magnified exploded perspective view showing a portion of alocking mechanism in the hinge device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a portable telephonewhich utilizes the hinge device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing an example of fitting a lock releasemechanism of a flip lid in the hinge device of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is an explanatory figure showing the operation of the lockingmechanism in the hinge device of the present invention, and FIG. 11B isan explanatory figure showing the operation of the lock releasemechanism.

FIG. 12A is an explanatory figure showing the operation of the lockingmechanism in a second embodiment of the hinge device of the presentinvention, and FIG. 12B is an explanatory figure showing the operationof the lock release mechanism.

FIG. 13 is a left side view showing the hinge device of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front view showing a push button of the hinge device ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a cam guide plate of the hinge device ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing a click cam of the hinge device of FIG.12.

FIG. 17 is a right side view showing the click cam of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing a spring holder of the hinge device ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 19 is a front view showing a slide click cam of the hinge device ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 20 is a right side view showing the slide click cam of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of fittingthe hinge device of FIG. 12 to a portable telephone.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory figure showing the opening and closingoperation of a portable telephone in which is comprised the hinge deviceof FIG. 12.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be explainedwith reference to the figures.

Basically the hinge device of the present invention is comprised of ahinge element, a lock mechanism, and a lock release mechanism. Beforeexplaining the hinge device, first the construction of the hinge elementwill be explained.

First Example of the Hinge Element

FIG. 1 shows a first example of the hinge element, and this hingeelement 10 has a construction which comprises a casing 11, a cam 12, astopper portion 13, an axis body 14, a plate spring 15, etc. In thiscase, the casing 11, the cam 12, the stopper portion 13, the platespring 15 etc. constitute a hinge main body of the hinge element 10.

The casing 11 is formed roughly as a square tube in order for it to beendowed with the function of preventing rotation, and is formed with ahole (not shown in the figures) in its front side for protruding theaxis body 14.

The cam 12 is also formed with a cam face around its axis, and it ishoused within the casing 11. The cam 12, for example, is formed as shownin FIG. 2, in other words, the cam 12 has a rotation symmetrical shapearound its axis O, and, around the axis O, as cam faces, has a supportface 12 a and a return force bearing face 12 b.

Here, to explain the cam operation in the case that the cam 12 which isshown in the drawing by way of example has been applied to a portableelectronic device, for example, the opened state of the flip lid, inwhich it opposes the main body of the portable electronic device, is setso as to be the state A shown in the figure. In this state A, the platespring 15 presses against the support faces 12 a, and the flip lid isstably held with respect to the portable electronic device main body soas to be at an opened angle â (for example 120°) in relation thereto.

Furthermore, the closed state of the flip lid with respect to the mainbody of the portable electronic device is set so as to be the stateshown by C in the figure. In this state C, the plate spring 15 pressesagainst the return force bearing faces 12 b. These return force bearingfaces 12 b are positioned more inwards than a suppositious circulararcuate surface D which takes the axis O as a center, and, due to this,in this closed state, a torque is generated in the plate spring 15 inthe direction to close the flip lid, and the flip lid is further biasedin the direction to close it.

If the flip lid opens from the closed state, in other words if the platespring 15 relatively rotates in the rightwards rotational direction asseen in the figure (according to the application example, the cam 12 mayalso rotate. Since the positional relationship between the cam 12 andthe plate spring 15 is a relative matter, either of them can berelatively rotated), when it passes the state B shown in the figure, theflip lid shifts at a stroke (automatically) to the opened state. Thisshifting angle á can be set to any angle within a certain possiblerange.

The stopper portion 13 is connected to the forward side of the cam 12 inits axial direction, and is formed to be of a size greater than that ofsaid protrusion hole.

The axis body 14 is connected to the front side of the stopper portion13, and is formed in a size which can protrude from said protrusionhole. The axis body 14 is formed in a roughly square post shape, so thatidle turning should not occur.

The plate spring 15 is made in a roughly letter “U” shape which closestogether with a certain closing force, and at its free ends it grips thecam faces (the support faces 12 a or the return force bearing faces 12b) of the cam 12 from directions perpendicular to its axial line O. Bydoing this, the plate spring 15 exerts a torque corresponding to thelocal shapes of the portions of the cam faces upon which it is pressing.In this example, the plate spring 15 is made as two superimposed leaves.However, the number of superimposed leaves can be any number which isrequired to obtain the desired closing force.

Second Example of the Hinge Element

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a second example of the hinge element. The hingeelement 20 is constructed to comprise a casing 21, a block body 22, anaxis body 23, a press-torsion spring 24, etc. In this case, the casing21, the block body 22, the press-torsion spring 24 etc. constitute ahinge main body of the hinge element 20.

The casing 21 is formed roughly in a square tubular shape in order to beendowed with the function of preventing rotation, and is also formedwith a protrusion hole (not shown in the figures) in its front side.

The block body 22 is received within the casing 21, and is made of asize greater than that of said protrusion hole so that it is impossiblefor it to come out from the casing 21. A stop concavity 22 a is formedin the block body 22 and extends in a direction parallel with itsrotational axis.

The axis body 23 is positioned at the front side of the block body 22,and is formed to be of a size which can protrude from said protrusionhole. The axis body 23 is formed in a roughly square post shape, so thatidle turning should not occur.

One end 24 a of the press-torsion spring 24 is engaged into the stopconcavity 22 a, and said spring 24, after being wound around therotational axis by just a predetermined number of turns in a circularcoil shape, is received within the casing 21 in the state of being woundinto a square shape by two turns 24 b at its rear side. By the two turns24 b at the rear end of the press-torsion spring 24 being formed in asquare shape, these two turns 24 b are engaged to the casing 21 so asnot to be able to rotate with respect to the casing 21. Thepress-torsion spring 24 functions as a pressure spring which biases theblock body 22 and the axis body 23 integrally forwards along theirrotational axis. Furthermore the press-torsion spring 24, by its twoends being respectively engaged with the stop concavity 22 a and thecasing 21, functions as a torsion spring which, when the axis body 23has been rotated around the rotational axis, is able to be twisted inaccompaniment with this rotation so as to accumulate restoring force.

Here, to explain the opening and closing operation in the case that thehinge element 20 has been applied to a flip lid type portable electronicdevice, for example, the opened state of the flip lid with respect tothe main body of the portable electronic device is set to the normalstate of the press-torsion spring 24 in which said press-torsion spring24 does not exert any torsion force.

When the flip lid is closed from this opened state and is put into theclosed state, the press-torsion spring 24 is wound up, and the torsionforce which accompanies this winding up is exerted as a restoring forceupon the press-torsion spring 24. In other words the hinge element 20 isendowed with the function, with the flip lid in the closed position, ofbiasing the flip lid in the opening direction. In this manner, the hingeelement 20 is endowed with a hinging function (an opening and closingfunction) of generating a restoring torque according to the twistedcondition of the press-torsion spring 24.

First Embodiment of the Hinge Device

Next, referring to FIG. 5 through FIG. 7, a lock mechanism 30 and a lockrelease mechanism 40 in a first embodiment of the hinge device of thepresent invention will be explained. It should be understood that thislock mechanism 30 and lock release mechanism 40 can be applied to eitherof the hinge elements 10 and 20 described above.

The lock mechanism 30 is made so as to comprise a first lock member 31,a spring (biasing means) 32, a spring housing casing 33, a second lockmember 34, etc.

The first lock member 31 is fixed to the axis body 14 (or 23) of thehinge element 10 (or 20) so as to be unable to rotate relativelythereto. In concrete terms, in the state with the axis body 14 (or 23)being inserted through a central hole 31 a (shown in FIG. 8), it isfixed with respect to the axis body. An engagement cutaway (stopperportion) 31 b is formed upon the first lock member 31 at its peripheraledge.

The spring housing casing 33 is arranged so as to enclose the peripheryof the casing 11 (or 21) upon the hinge main body side of the hingeelement 10 (or 20). The spring housing casing 33 has an external formwhich includes a circular portion 33 a and a rotation prevention planarportion 33 b, and is fixed with respect to the casing 11 (or 21). Twosprings 32 are housed within the spring housing casing 33 on both thesides of the hinge main body.

The second lock member 34 is arranged so as to enclose the periphery ofthe casing 11 (or 21) on the hinge main body side of the hinge element10 (or 20). The second lock member 34 is arranged so as to be incapableof relative rotational movement with respect to the casing by beinginserted into the casing through a casing insertion hole 34 a (shown inFIG. 8), and moreover is arranged so as to be movable in the axialdirection by being biased by the springs 32 forwards along the axialdirection (in other words, towards the first lock member 31).Furthermore, the second lock member 34 comprises an engagement body 34 bwhich can engage with respect to the engagement cutaway 31 b. In thiscase, the front side face of the engagement body 34 b is formed as asloping surface 34 c.

The lock release mechanism comprises a push button 40. The push button40 comprises a button portion 41, an engagement portion 42, a projection43, a return spring 44, etc.

The engagement portion 42 is formed in a square tubular shape ofdimensions smaller than the axis body 14 (or 23), and is fitted withinan engagement aperture (not shown in the figures) which is formed at theend of the axis body 14 (or 23). By this fitting, the press button 40 isconnected with respect to the axis body so as to rotate integrally withthe axis body.

The projection 43 is made of a size and a shape which enable it to beinserted through the engagement cutaway 31 b.

The return spring 44 is disposed within the push button 40, and biasesthe button portion 41 in the leftwards direction in the figure.

Next, the fitting to a flip lid type portable electronic device of thehinge device which is made up from the hinge element 10 or 20, the lockmechanism 30, and the lock release mechanism 40 structured as describedabove will be explained. Here, by way of example as a portableelectronic device, a portable telephone device which is made up from aportable telephone device main body 50 and a flip lid 60 will beexplained.

First, as shown in FIG. 9, hinge main bodies are fitted to both endportions 52, 53 in the widthwise direction of a linking region 51 of theflip lid 60 with respect to the portable telephone device main body 50.The fitting of the hinge main bodies in this case, as shown in FIG. 5,is performed so that the axis bodies 14 (or 23) and the first lockmembers 31 are in a state of being protruded from the portableelectronic device main body 50. By doing this, the hinge main bodies andthe second lock members 34 (and the springs 32 etc.) are fittedintegrally to the portable electronic device main body 50. In contrastto this, the axis bodies 14 (or 23) and the first lock members 31 areassembled on the side of the flip lid 60, as will be describedhereinafter, so as to rotate integrally with the flip lid 60; in otherwords, they rotate relatively to the portable telephone device main body50.

Further, the push buttons 40 are fitted so as not to be able to rotaterelatively to the flip lid 60, and moreover so as to be able to act inthe direction of the hinge main body. Although this type of fitting canbe implemented in a variety of ways, to take one example thereof, asshown in FIG. 10, this may be performed by sandwiching the push buttons40 between two portions into which the flip lid 60 is divided, and byengaging the ends of screws in longitudinal grooves (not shown in thefigures) which are formed in the button portions 41. In this case, thepush buttons 40 are unable to rotate relatively to the flip lid 60 dueto the ends of the screws being engaged in the longitudinal grooves,while they can act towards the hinge main body by the ends of the screwsbeing able to shift along the longitudinal grooves in the directiontowards the hinge main body. In the state in which the push buttons 40are assembled to the flip lid 60, as shown in FIG. 5, the buttonportions 41 project from the outer surfaces of the flip lid 60. Byfitting the push buttons 40 to the flip lid 60 in this manner, the axisbodies 14 (or 23) and the first lock members 31 come to be fitted to theside of the flip lid 60.

This type of fitting is performed as the last stage of assembly. Inother words, after the hinge main bodies have been fitted to theportable telephone device main body 50, it is done by pushing theengagement portions 42 of the push buttons 40 into the engagementapertures (not shown in the figures) of the axis bodies 14 (or 23). Bythis, the assembly of the portable telephone device is completed.

Next, the opening and closing operation of the flip lid 60 with respectto the portable telephone device main body 50 will be explained. As hasbeen described previously, it is possible to use either of the hingeelements 10 and 20 for the present invention. Accordingly, the threecases will be separated and explained:

(A) the case where hinge devices which comprise hinge elements 10 areused at both of the end portions 52, 53 in the widthwise direction ofthe linking region 51;

(B) the case in which hinge devices which comprise hinge elements 20 areused at both of the end portions 52, 53 in the widthwise direction ofthe linking region 51; and

(C) the case in which a hinge device which comprises a hinge element 10is used at one of the end portions 52, 53 in the widthwise direction ofthe linking region 51, and moreover a hinge device which comprises ahinge element 20 is used at the other.

In all of these cases, the fact is common that that the closed state ofthe flip lid 60 with respect to the portable telephone device main body50 is set to the locked state of the lock mechanism 30.

(A) The case in which two hinge elements 10 are used.

[A-1] The closed state

In the closed state, as shown in FIG. 11A, the locked state is attainedin which the engagement bodies 34 b have been engaged into theengagement cutaways 31 b. This locked state is stably maintained by thebiasing force of the springs 32, as long as the push buttons 40 are notpressed. Furthermore in this closed state the flip lid 60 is furtherbiased in the closing direction, based upon the torque characteristic ofthe hinge element 10. Due to this, it is possible to prevent rattling ofthe flip lid 60 in the opening direction, and further the flip lid 60 isprevented from floating up in the opening direction, which would beundesirable.

[A-2] From closed state to open state

To open the flip lid 60 from the closed state, the button portions 41 onboth sides are pressed inwards. Due to this, as shown in FIG. 11B, theprojections 43 are pressed inwards, and in accompaniment with this theengagement bodies 34 b of the second lock members 34 are pressed inwardsagainst the resistance of the biasing force of the springs 32. Due tothis, the engagement between the engagement bodies 34 b and the stopperportions 31 b is released.

In this case, due to the end surfaces of the engagement bodies 34 bbeing made as the sloping surfaces 34 c, the pressing in forces E of theprojections 43 are converted into shifting forces F of the engagementbodies 34 b in the sidewise direction by being guided upon the slopingsurfaces 34 c. Actually, due to the second lock members 34 beingassembled on the side of the portable telephone device main body 50which has a large mass, shifting forces G of the projections 43 in thesidewise direction are generated as the reaction to these forces F.These forces G act as rotational forces upon the push buttons 40. Inother words, rotational forces in the opening direction act upon theflip lid 60.

By doing this and obtaining this kind of initial rotational force in theopening direction, the biasing force in the closing direction due to thehinge elements 10 is overcome, and it is possible to open the flip lid60 in a one-touch manner. For this objective, it is desirable to set theprogressive angle á of the cam surfaces 12 to be comparatively small,such as for example to 5° to 15°. By doing this, the flip lid 60 is atone stroke and moreover automatically shifted through the opening angleâ to the opened state.

It should be noted that, after the pushing forces are released, the pushbuttons 40 are returned to their original projecting states due to theaction of the return springs 44 (the same holds for the cases (B) and(C) below as well).

[A-3] The open state

In the open state, the flip lid 60 is stably maintained at the openingangle â based upon the torque characteristics of the hinge elements 10.

[A-4] From open state to closed state

To close the flip lid 60 from the open state, the flip lid 60 is closedas far as the shift angle á. When the shift angle á is passed, theclosed state is attained due to the biasing force of the hinge elements10, and simultaneously locking is performed by the lock mechanism 30.

(B) The case in which two hinge elements 20 are used.

[B-1] The closed state

In the closed state, the locked state is attained by the lock mechanism30 in the same manner as described above, and is stably maintained dueto the biasing forces of the springs 32. Furthermore, in this closedstate, the hinge elements 20 impart biasing force in the openingdirection to the flip lid 60, based upon the torque characteristics ofthe hinge elements 20.

[B-2] From closed state to open state

To open the flip lid 60 from the closed state, the button portions 41 onboth sides are pressed inwards. By doing this, the locking is releasedin the same manner as described above. In this case, based upon thetorque characteristics of the hinge elements 20, it is possible toobtain an initial opening force, due to the biasing force in the openingdirection of these hinge elements 20 (without relying upon any forceconversion mechanism by the sloping surfaces 34 c).

By obtaining initial rotational force in the opening direction by doingthis, it is possible to open the flip lid 60 in a one-touch manner. Dueto this, the flip lid 60 is at one stroke and moreover automaticallyshifted to the opened state.

[B-3] The open state

In the open state, the flip lid 60 is maintained in the open state, andno torque is generated in the press-torsion springs 24, since notwisting is engendered in the press-torsion springs 24.

[B-4] From open state to closed state

To close the flip lid 60 from the open state, the flip lid 60 is closedas far as the closed state. By doing this, locking is performed by thelock mechanism 30.

(C) The case in which a hinge element 10 is used on one side and a hingeelement 20 is used at the other side

[C-1] The closed state

In the closed state the locked state is attained by the lock mechanism30, in the same manner as described above, and is stably maintained bythe biasing force of the springs 32. Furthermore in this closed statethe flip lid 60 is further biased in the closing direction, based uponthe torque characteristic of the single hinge element 10, so that it ispossible in the same manner to prevent rattling of the flip lid 60 inthe opening direction and floating up of the flip lid 60.

[C-2] From closed state to open state

To open the flip lid 60 from the closed state, the button portions 41 onboth sides are pressed inwards. Due to this, the lock is released in thesame manner as described above. In this case, based upon the torquecharacteristics of the other hinge element 20, it is possible to obtainan initial opening force, due to the biasing force in the openingdirection of this hinge element 20 (without relying upon any forceconversion mechanism by the sloping surface 34 c).

By obtaining an initial opening rotational force by doing this, it iseasy to overcome the biasing force in the closing direction due to thehinge clement 10. Accordingly, it is possible to open the flip lid 60 ina one-touch manner. Due to this, the flip lid 60 is at one stroke andmoreover automatically shifted to the open state through the openingangle â.

[C-3] The open state

In the open state the flip lid 60 is stably maintained at the openingangle â based upon the torque characteristic of the single hinge element10.

[C-4] From open state to closed state

To close the flip lid 60 from the open state, the flip lid 60 is closedas far as the closed state. By doing this, locking is performed by thelock mechanism 30. In this case, although the biasing force of the otherhinge device 20 becomes large as it closes, the increase in themagnitude of the biasing force of the hinge element 20 comes to bereduced, due to the fact that the biasing force of the first hingeelement 10 changes towards the closing direction when it passes a shiftangle (for example 30°).

To compare these three cases, the case (C) is the most desirable one,due to the fact that it is possible to prevent floating up and rattlingof the flip lid 60 in the closed state, the fact that initial openingforce is easily obtained, and the fact that the stability of maintenancein the open state is high.

Second Embodiment of the Hinge Device

FIGS. 12A and 12B show a second embodiment of the hinge device. Thishinge device is made to comprise a hinge element 70, a lock mechanism80, and a lock release mechanism 90. Furthermore, the hinge element 70comprises a casing 71, a click cam (axis body) 72, a slide click cam(second lock member) 73, a torque spring 74 etc., and the hinge mainbody comprises the casing 71, the torque spring 74, etc.

The casing 71 is formed in a generally square tubular shape with abottom so as to be endowed with the function of stopping rotation, andits opening end is closed over with a fastener 75. Furthermore, aprojection hole is coaxially formed in the bottom end of the casing 71,and a rear end portion 72 a of the click cam 72 is inserted into thisprojection hole. On the other hand, a pair of insertion cutaways areformed on the peripheral surface of the opening end side of the casing71, and it can be engaged to a flip lid (a first assembly member) byengagement protrusions 73 e of the slide click cam 73 being insertedinto these insertion cutaways. Moreover, at the opening end of thecasing 71, a pair of fastener engagement protrusions 71 a are formed soas to project extending along the axial direction, and these fastenerengagement protrusions 71 a are engaged into engagement cutaways 75 awhich are formed upon the peripheral surface of said fastener 75 (referto FIG. 13).

The click cam 72 is made in the form of a stepped tube, as shown in FIG.16, and it is constructed to comprise a rear end portion 72 a, a firstcentral portion 72 b, a second central portion 72 c, and a cam portion72 d, which are formed so as to be of increasing radius in order fromits one end in the direction towards its other end. This click cam 72 isreceived coaxially within the casing 71 so that the rear end portion 72a which has a square post shape and the first central portion 72 b whichhas a cylindrical post shape project to the exterior of the casing 71from said projection hole.

A fixing hole 72 e, which extends in the direction perpendicular withrespect to the rotational axis O1 of the click cam 72, is formed in thesecond central portion 72 c, which has a cylindrical post shape.

An engagement convex portion 72 f which projects along the rotationalaxis O1 and moreover extends in a radial direction is formed upon thefront end surface of the cam portion 72 d which has a circular plateshape, and this engagement convex portion 72 f is able to enter intoconcave and convex engagement with the slide click cam 73. The tip endportion of the engagement convex portion 72 f is formed as a slopingsurface having a circular arcuate shape in vertical section.

A through hole 72 f′ is formed in the click cam 72 and extends coaxiallyalong its rotational axis O, and an axis portion 73 a of the slide clickcam 73 is passed through this through hole 72 f′.

The slide click cam 73, as shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, is formed tocomprise the axis portion 73 a and a cam portion 73 b.

The axis portion 73 a, when inserted in the through hole 72 f′ of theclick cam 72, is of a length dimension which projects more than saidrear end portion 72 a. Furthermore, a stepped through hole 73 c iscoaxially formed in the axis portion 73 a, and an axis portion 91 b of apush button 91 is pressed in and fixed into in its rear end portion.

The cam portion 73 b comprises upon its outer periphery engagementprotrusions 73 e which passes through a through cutaway of said casing71 and is engaged to a flip lid 110, and, in the state in which theseengagement protrusions 73 e are engaged to engagement cutaways, on theone hand rotational movement around the axis O2 relative to the casing71 is prevented, while forward and backward shifting along the axis O2is permitted.

Upon the rear end surface of the cam portion 73 b an engagement concaveportion 73 f which is dented in along the axis O2 is formed so as toextend along a direction perpendicular thereto, and this engagementconcave portion 73 f is made to be capable of convex and concaveengagement with the engagement convex portion 72 f. Furthermore, theopening portion of the engagement concave portion 73 f is made as asloping surface 73 g of circular arcuate shape in vertical section.

A compression spring 76 is disposed between the front end surface of thecam portion 73 b and said fastener 75, and the slide click cam 73 isalways biased by this compression spring 76 along the axis O2 to therearwards side, in other words to the side of the click cam 72.

One end of the torque spring 74 is inserted in the fixing hole 72 e soas to be fixed therein, and, after it has been wound in circular coilform by just a predetermined number of turns around the rotational axisO1 around the second central portion 72 c of said click cam 72, it isdisposed within the casing 71 in the state of being fixed in a fixinghole 77 a of a spring holder 77 which is fitted over the outside of thefirst central portion 72 b of said click cam 72. On the one hand theinner periphery of this spring holder 77 is formed as a circular tubeand permits rotational movement of the first central portion 72 b of theclick cam 72, while its outer periphery is formed as a roughly squareshaped plate so that its own rotational movement within the casing 71 isprevented.

Accordingly, due to the fact that the two ends of the torque spring 74are respectively fixed into the fixing hole 72 e of the click cam 72 andthe fixing hole 77 a of the spring holder, it can be twisted so as tostore restoring force when the click cam 72 is rotationally moved aroundthe rotational axis O1 as a center, and thus it functions as a torsionspring.

Here, to explain the opening and closing operation when the hingeelement 70 is applied to a flip lid type portable electronic device, forexample, in the open state of the flip lid with respect to the portableelectronic device main body, the torque spring 74 is set to the state inwhich it is not storing up any twisting force.

When from this type of open state the flip lid is progressively closedto the closed state, the torque spring 74 is wound up, and the twistingforce which accompanies this winding up is stored as a restoring forcein the torque spring 74. In other words, with the flip lid in the closedposition, the hinge element 70 is endowed with a function of biasing theflip lid in the opening direction.

In this manner, the hinge element 70 is endowed with a hinging function(an opening and closing function) of generating restoring torque incorrespondence with the twisted condition of the torque spring 74.

Next, the lock mechanism 80 and the lock release mechanism 90 which areapplied for the above described hinge element 70 will be explained withreference to FIGS. 12A and 12B.

In FIGS. 12A and 12B, the lock mechanism 80 is constituted by the camguide place 78 (the first lock member), the cam portion 72 d of theclick cam 72, the cam portion 73 b of the slide click cam 73, and thecompression spring 76 etc., and furthermore the lock release mechanism90 is constituted by the push button 91.

The cam guide plate 78, as shown in FIG. 15, is fitted so as not to becapable of relative rotational movement with respect to the rear endportion 72 a of the click cam 72 which is one structural element of thehinge element 70. To explain this in concrete terms, by inserting thesquare post shaped rear end portion 72 a into the central squareaperture 78 a of the cam guide plate 78, relative rotational movementbetween the two of them is prevented. Furthermore, engagement cutaways78 b are formed at intervals of 90° around the periphery of the camguide plate 78.

A pair of removal prevention latches 72 g are formed in the rear endportion 72 a of the click cam 72, and coming out in the rearwardsdirection along the rotational movement axis of the cam guide plate 78is implemented for the rear end portion 72 a by these removal preventionlatches 72 g. It should be understood that coming out in the forwardsdirection along the rotational movement axis of the click cam 72 isimplemented by the cam guide plate 78 contacting the bottom surface ofthe casing 71, and coming out in the rearwards direction along therotational movement axis of the click cam 72 is implemented by thestepped portions 72 h of the first central portion 72 b and the secondcentral portion 72 c contacting the spring holder 77.

The cam portion 72 d of the click cam 72 and the cam portion 73 b of theslide click cam 73, as described above, are respectively capable ofconcave and convex engagement with the engagement convex portion 72 fand the engagement concave portion 73 f, and, in the state in whichthese click cam 72 and slide click cam 73 are engaged by concave andconvex engagement, relative rotation of the two of them is prevented.This concave and convex engagement state, as described above, isimplemented by the cam portion 73 b of the slide click cam 73 beingpressed against the cam portion 72 d of the click cam 72 due to theelastic force of the compression spring 76 which is disposed betweensaid fastener 75 and the slide click cam 73.

The lock release mechanism 90 is constituted by the push button 91 whichis made up from the push button portion 91 a and the axis portion 91 b.The push button 91 is made to be unitary with the slide click cam 73 bythis axis portion 91 b being pressed into the axis portion 73 a of theslide click cam 73. Accordingly, the push button 91 is always biased viathe slide click cam 73 in the reverse direction to the button pressingin direction (in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the leftwards direction) due to saidcompression spring 76.

Next, the fitting of the hinge device which is made up from the hingeelement 70, the lock mechanism 80, and the lock release mechanism 90 tothe flip lid type portable electronic device will be explained. Here aswell, for the portable electronic device, the explanation will take asan example a portable telephone device which is made up from a portabletelephone device main body (second assembly member) 100 and a flip lid(first assembly member) 110.

In the hinge device, as shown in FIG. 21 (a simplified figure showingthe hinge device), the hinge main body is fitted at one end portion of alinking region 120 between the portable telephone device main body 100and the flip lid 110, so as to impart the flip lid 110 with apredetermined standing up angle from the same plane as the portabletelephone device main body 100. The standing up angle at this time isthe angle when the flip lid 100 is in the open state, and may forexample be set to 20° as shown at position A in FIG. 22.

The fitting of the hinge device to the flip lid 110 is performed byengaging the engagement protrusions 73 e of the cam portion 73 b on theslide click cam 73 to concave engagement grooves 112 in a fittingaperture 111. When this is done, the hinge device is integrally fittedvia the slide click cam 73 to the flip lid 110 so that the hinge mainbody becomes incapable of relative rotation with respect thereto.

At this time, the cam guide plate 78 which is integrally fixed to therear end portion 72 a of the click cam 72 is housed in a fittingaperture 101 on the side of the portable telephone device main body 100,and the engagement cutaways 78 b which are formed upon the outerperiphery of the cam guide plate 78 are engaged to engagementconvexities 102 which are provided within the fitting aperture 111. Whenthis is done, the click cam 72 is integrally fitted via the cam guideplate 78 to the portable telephone device main body 100 so as to beincapable of relative rotation with respect thereto.

Since by the above, with on the one hand the rear end portion 72 a ofthe click cam 72 and the cam guide plate 78 being assembled upon theside of the portable telephone device main body 100 and being integrallyfixed so as to be incapable of relative rotation with respect to saidportable telephone device main body 100, this click cam 72 upon the sideof the flip lid 110 is freely ?? rotatably housed within the casing 71which rotates integrally together with said flip lid 110, in the statein which a hinge device like that described above is assembled to thelinking region 120, the flip lid 110 and the portable telephone devicemain body 100 are linked together so as to be capable of relativerotation.

Next, the opening and closing operation of the flip lid 110 with respectto the portable telephone device main body 100 will be explained. Here,the explanation will be made for the case that a hinge device whichcomprises a hinge element 70 has been assembled to a single end portionin the widthwise direction of the linking region 120.

[D-1] The closed state

In the closed state, as shown in FIG. 12A, a locked state is attained inwhich the engagement concave portion 73 f of the cam portion 73 b on theslide click cam 73 and the engagement convex portion 72 f of the camportion 72 d on the click cam 72 are engaged together by concave andconvex engagement. This type of locked state is stably maintained by thebiasing force of the compression spring 76, provided that the pushbutton 91 is not pressed.

Furthermore, in this closed state, the hinge element 70 imparts biasingforce based upon its torque characteristic to the flip lid 110 in theopening direction. To explain in concrete terms, when the click cam 72and the slide click cam 73 have been put into concave and convexengagement, in other words when the flip lid 110 is positioned at thepositions A, A′ in FIG. 22, the torque spring 74 is just in the state ofnot storing up any twisting force. Accordingly, in the state shown bythe position C in which the flip lid 110 is closed, the torque spring 74comes to be in the state of being twisted by just the phase amount (inFIG. 22, 20°) by which it differs from the position A′, and thus impartsbiasing force in the opening direction to the flip lid 110.

[D-2] From closed state to open state

To open the flip lid 110 from the closed state, the push button 91 ispressed in towards the inside. By doing this, only the slide click cam73 is pressed in against the resistance force of the compression spring76, with the click cam 72 being maintained at its original position, asshown in FIG. 12B. Due to this, the concave and convex engagementbetween the engagement concave portion 73 of the cam portion 73 b on theslide click cam 73 and the engagement convex portion 72 f of the camportion 72 d on the click cam 72 is released.

In this case the flip lid 110 opens at one touch, since the flip lid 110is imparted with initial opening force due to the biasing force in theopening direction based upon the torque characteristic of the hingeelement 70. In other words, by pressing force being imparted to the pushbutton 91, the flip lid 110 comes to shift snappily and moreoverautomatically to the open state.

Furthermore, in the process of shifting from the closed state to theopen state, since based upon the torque characteristic of the coilspring 74 biasing force acts upon the flip lid 110 which is positionedin the position B or the position C of FIG. 22 to restore it to thestate of being in the position A, thereby quick and moreover accurateposition determination of the flip lid 110 is performed.

When the pressing force upon the push button 91 is released, the pushbutton 91 returns to its original projecting state along with the slideclick cam 73 due to the action of the compression spring 76. When thisis done, the engagement concave portion 73 f of the slide click cam 73and the engagement convex portion 72 d of the click cam 72 engagetogether by concave and convex engagement.

When establishing this concave and convex engagement, as the convexengagement portion 72 f approaches relatively to the engagement concaveportion 73 f and engages to the sloping face 73 g of said concaveengagement portion 73 f, the convex engagement portion 72 f is guidedalong this sloping face 73 g into the concave engagement portion 73 f.Accordingly, the concave and convex engagement operation of the convexengagement portion 72 f and the concave engagement portion 73 f whenshifting from the closed state to the open state becomes smooth.

[D-3] The open state

In the open state shown by the position A of FIG. 22, no torque isgenerated in the torque spring 74, since no twisting is imparted to thetorque spring 74. Accordingly, the flip lid 110 is stably maintained inthe open state.

[D-4] From open state to closed state

To close the flip lid 110 from the open state, the flip lid 110 ismanually folded back until it reaches the closed state. Due to this,locking is performed by the lock mechanism 30.

It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the fact that thetorque characteristic of the slide click cam 73, and the lock mechanism80 and the lock release mechanism 90, are not implemented using apress-twisting spring which has the functions of both the torque spring74 and the compression spring 76, but rather are separately implementedusing the torque spring 74 and the compression spring 76, is due to thefollowing reasons.

That is to say, this is because, if these functions were implemented bythe use of a press-twisting spring, then the life of the spring would beshortened (which would be undesirable), since both twisting reactionforce and compression reaction force would act upon the spring at thesame time. Furthermore, it is because balance adjustment of thecompression force and the twisting force which were generated due to apress-twisting spring would be difficult, and when the twisting forcewhich was generated was greater than the compression force, then thelock mechanism 80 would not function properly, and the flip lid wouldalways be in the open state (which would be undesirable).

It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to theabove described embodiments; the following embodiments are alsopossible:

a) Instead of applying the hinge device according to the presentinvention to a portable electronic device, to apply it to any generaldevice, without consideration of whether it is a portable type device oris a device other than a portable one, and further without considerationof whether or not it is an electronic device.

b) Instead of applying the hinge device according to the presentinvention to the flip lid and the main body in a portable telephonedevice, to apply it to the flip lid and the main body in any of varioustypes of portable electronic device, such as a portable computer, anelectronic notebook, an electronic game machine, or the like.

c) Instead of using the hinge elements 10, 20, and 70, to employ a hingeelement having any arbitrary torque characteristic, or to use acombination thereof.

d) To include a lock mechanism or a lock release mechanism other thanthe ones shown as examples in the figures.

e) Instead of incorporating the hinge main body on the side of theportable electronic device main body and incorporating the axis body onthe side of the flip lid, to utilize a reversed method of assembly.Accordingly, the term “first assembly member” mentioned in Claim 2 couldrefer to the portable electronic device main body, or could refer to theflip lid. Corresponding to this, the term “second assembly member” couldrefer to the flip lid, or could refer to the portable electronic devicemain body.

f) Instead of using the shapes shown in the figures for the axis body14, 23 of the hinge element 10, 20 and of the click cam 72 of the hingeelement 70, to use any shapes.

g) Instead of using the shape of the cam 21 shown in FIG. 2, and insteadof using the shapes of the cam portions 72 d and 73 b shown in FIGS. 12Aand 12B, to use any other cam shapes.

h) Instead of using hinge devices according to the present inventionwhich are provided with lock mechanisms and lock release mechanisms atboth of the end portions 52, 53 in the widthwise direction of thelinking region 51, to use only a single hinge device according to thepresent invention at one end, and to use a hinge device of aconventional type having no lock mechanism at the other end. In thiscase, the portable electronic device would become a one-button typehaving a single lock release button. Actually, the two button typehaving lock release buttons on both sides like the ones of the abovedescribed embodiments is preferable, from the point of view thaterroneous operation due to unintentional pressing force is prevented.Furthermore it would be possible, instead of using a hinge deviceaccording to the present invention having a lock mechanism 80 and a lockrelease mechanism 90 only at a single end portion in the widthwisedirection of the linking region 120, to use various combinations ofhinge device according to the present invention at both the end portionsin the widthwise direction of the linking region 120.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention relates to a hinge device for implementing ahinged linkage. Furthermore, it relates to a portable electronic deviceto which this type of hinge device is assembled.

According to the hinge device of the first aspect of the presentinvention, by the hinge device including a lock mechanism and a lockrelease mechanism in addition to the hinge element, it is not necessaryto provide any separate lock mechanism or lock release mechanism foropening and closing on the side of a device to which this hinge deviceis applied, and it is possible to attain increased simplification andreduction of space of the device.

According to the hinge device of the second aspect, the hinge main bodyis assembled to the first assembly member and moreover the axis body isassembled to the second assembly member, then, by having a torquecharacteristic, during locking, such as to bias the first and secondassembly members in the direction to mutually contact one another, it ispossible to prevent the first and second assembly member from uselesslyrattling together.

According to the hinge device of the third aspect, the hinge main bodyis assembled to the first assembly member and moreover the axis body isassembled to the second assembly member, then, by having a torquecharacteristic, at the moment that the locking by the lock mechanism hasbeen released by the lock release mechanism, such as to rotate the firstand second assembly members in the direction to mutually separate fromone another, thereby the opening action of the first and second assemblymembers can be performed with a so-called one-touch action by drivingthe lock release mechanism.

According to the hinge device of the fourth aspect, it is possible toprovide the lock function simply by implementing the lock function ofthe lock mechanism by concave and convex engagement of the first and thesecond lock members.

According to the hinge device of the fifth aspect, it is possible toperform maintenance of the engagement of the engagement body withrespect to the stopper portion by the biasing means.

According to the hinge device of the sixth aspect, by forming thesurface upon the engagement body which is pushed in by the projection asa sloping surface, thereby the pushing in force of the projection isconverted into a shift force in the sideways direction of the projectionand also is converted into a rotational force of the push button. Whenthe hinge main body is assembled to the first assembly member and theaxis body is assembled to the second assembly member, at the time oflock release, it is possible to take advantage of this rotational forceas mutual separation force for the first and the second assembly membersfrom one another, and it is possible to assist the opening operation ofthe first and the second assembly members.

According to the hinge device of the seventh aspect, it is possible toprovide the lock function even more simply by implementing the lockfunction of the lock mechanism by concave and convex engagement of theaxis body and the second lock member.

According to the hinge device of the eighth aspect, it is possible toperform maintenance of the concave and convex engagement of the axisbody and the second lock member by the biasing means.

According to the hinge device ninth embodiment, when the engagementconvex portion approaches relatively to the concave engagement portionand impinges upon a sloping portion of the concave engagement portion,the convex engagement portion is guided along the sloping portion of theconcave engagement portion into the concave engagement portion.Accordingly, the operation during concave and convex engagement becomessmooth.

According to the portable electronic device of the tenth embodiment, bylinking the portable electronic device main body and the flip lid viathe above described type of hinge device, it is not necessary to provideany separate lock mechanism or lock release mechanism for opening andclosing to the portable electronic device main body or to the flip lid,and it is possible to attain simplification and reduction of space ofthe portable electronic device.

According to the portable electronic device of the eleventh aspect,along with linking the portable electronic device main body and the fliplid via a hinge device according to the second aspect, by locking withthe lock mechanism in the closed state of the flip lid with respect tothe portable electronic device main body, in the closed state of theflip lid, the flip lid is biased in the further closing direction withrespect to the portable electronic device main body based upon thetorque characteristic of the hinge element. Due to this, it is possibleto prevent rattling of the flip lid in the opening direction. Moreover,it is possible to prevent floating up of the flip lid in the closedstate. According to the portable electronic device described in thesecond aspect, along with linking the portable electronic device mainbody and the flip lid via a hinge device according to the third aspect,by locking with the lock mechanism in the closed state of the flip lidwith respect to the portable electronic device main body, at the instantthat the locking is released, it is possible for the flip lid to open upaway from the portable electronic device main body based upon the torquecharacteristic of the hinge element. In other words, the openingoperation of the flip lid from the portable electronic device main bodycan be performed by so-called one-touch lock release operation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hinge device comprising: a hinge element whichhas an axis body and a hinge main body and which is constructed so thatsaid axis body possesses a predetermined torque characteristic around arotational axis with respect to said hinge main body; a lock mechanismwhich functions so as to lock rotational movement of said axis bodyaround the rotational axis; and a lock release mechanism which releaseslocking by said lock mechanism wherein said lock mechanism comprises afirst lock member which is provided on the side of said axis body so asto be unable to move rotationally relative to said axis body, and asecond lock member which is provided on the side of said hinge main bodyso as to be unable to move rotationally relative to said hinge mainbody; said first lock member comprises a stopper portion; said secondlock member comprises an engagement body which can engage with respectto said stopper portion, and which is biased in the direction towardssaid first lock member by a biasing means; said lock function by saidlock mechanism is provided by said engagement body engaging into saidstopper portion; and said lock release mechanism comprises a push buttonwhich is provided on the side of said axis body and which comprises aprojection which can be inserted into said stopper portion, and, by saidprojection being inserted into said stopper portion, said engagementbody is pushed in against the resistance of the biasing force due tosaid biasing means, and thereby said lock is released.
 2. A hinge deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said hinge main body is assembled with afirst assembly member and said axis body is assembled with a secondassembly member, said torque characteristic possesses a bias in adirection to mutually contact said first and second assembly memberswhen the rotation of said axis body is locked by said lock mechanism. 3.A hinge device according to claim 1, wherein said hinge main body isassembled with a first assembly member, said torque characteristicprovides rotation in a direction to mutually separate said first andsecond assembly members at the moment that the locking by said lockmechanism has been released by said lock release mechanism.
 4. A hingedevice according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said engagement bodywhich is pushed in by said projection is formed as a sloping surface,and thereby the pushing in force of said projection is converted into ashift force in the sideways direction of said projection and also into arotational force of said push button.
 5. A hinge device comprising: ahinge element which has an axis body and a hinge main body and which isconstructed so that said axis body possesses a predetermined torquecharacteristic around a rotational axis with respect to said hinge mainbody; a lock mechanism which functions so as to lock rotational movementof said axis body around the rotational axis; and a lock releasemechanism which releases locking by said lock mechanism wherein: saidlock mechanism comprises a first lock member which is provided on theside of said axis body so as to be unable to move rotationally relativeto said axis body, and a second lock member which is provided on theside of said hinge main body so as to be unable to move rotationallyrelative to said hinge main body; said lock function by said lockmechanism is provided by concave and convex engagement of said axis bodyand said second lock member; and said lock release mechanism is amechanism which can release said concave and convex engagement.
 6. Ahinge device according to claim 5, wherein: said second lock membercomprises an axis portion which passes through said axis body extendingalong its axis, and which is biased so as to contact against said axisbody by a biasing means; and said lock release mechanism comprises apush button which is linked to the axis portion of said second lockmember, and, by said push button being pushed in, said second lockmember is separated from said axis body against the resistance of thebiasing force due to said biasing means, and thereby said lock isreleased.
 7. A hinge device according to claim 6, wherein, upon theconcave and convex engagement surfaces of said axis body and said secondlock member, there are provided sloping portions which guide anengagement convex portion into an engagement concave portion.
 8. Aportable electronic device comprising a portable electronic device mainbody and a flip lid which is linked to said portable electronic devicemain body so as to be able to open and shut with respect thereto,wherein, at least one of both end portions in the widthwise direction ofa linking region of said flip lid with respect to said portableelectronic device main body, linking of said portable electronic devicemain body and said flip lid is performed via a hinge device according toclaim
 1. 9. A portable electronic device comprising a portableelectronic device main body and a flip lid which is linked to saidportable electronic device main body so as to be able to open and shutwith respect thereto, wherein, at least one of both end portions in thewidthwise direction of a linking region of said flip lid with respect tosaid portable electronic device main body, linking of said portableelectronic device main body and said flip lid is performed via a hingedevice according to claim 2; in the closed state of said flip lid withrespect to said portable electronic device main body, locking isperformed by said lock mechanism; and, based upon said torquecharacteristic of said hinge element, said flip lid, in said closedstate of said flip lid, is biased in the further closing direction withrespect to said portable electronic device main body.
 10. A portableelectronic device comprising a portable electronic device main body anda flip lid which is linked to said portable electronic device main bodyso as to be able to open and shut with respect thereto, wherein, atleast one of both end portions in the widthwise direction of a linkingregion of said flip lid with respect to said portable electronic devicemain body, linking of said portable electronic device main body and saidflip lid is performed via a hinge device according to claim 3; in theclosed state of said flip lid with respect to said portable electronicdevice main body, locking is performed by said lock mechanism; and,based upon said torque characteristic of said hinge element, said fliplid, at the instant when the locking by said lock mechanism is released,is opened away from said portable electronic device main body.
 11. Ahinge device according to claim 5, wherein said hinge main body isassembled with a first assembly member and said axis body is assembledwith a second assembly member, said torque characteristic possesses abias in a direction to mutually contact said first and second assemblymembers when the rotation of said axis body is locked by said lockmechanism.
 12. A hinge device according to claim 5, wherein said hingemain body is assembled with a first assembly member and said axis bodyis assembled with a second assembly member, said torque characteristicprovides rotation in a direction said first and second assembly membersin a direction to mutually separate at the moment that the locking bysaid lock mechanism has been released by said lock release mechanism.13. A portable electronic device comprising a portable electronic devicemain body and a flip lid which is linked to said portable electronicdevice main body so as to be able to open and shut with respect thereto,wherein, at least one of both end portions in the widthwise direction ofa linking region of said flip lid with respect to said portableelectronic device main body, linking of said portable electronic devicemain body and said flip lid is performed via a hinge device according toclaim 11; in the closed state of said flip lid with respect to saidportable electronic device main body, locking is performed by said lockmechanism; and, based upon said torque characteristic of said hingeelement, said flip lid, in said closed state of said flip lid, is biasedin the further closing direction with respect to said portableelectronic device main body.
 14. A portable electronic device comprisinga portable electronic device main body and a flip lid which is linked tosaid portable electronic device main body so as to be able to open andshut with respect thereto, wherein, at at least one of both end portionsin the widthwise direction of a linking region of said flip lid withrespect to said portable electronic device main body, linking of saidportable electronic device main body and said flip lid is performed viaa hinge device according to claim 12; in the closed state of said fliplid with respect to said portable electronic device main body, lockingis performed by said lock mechanism; and, based upon said torquecharacteristic of said hinge element, said flip lid, at the instant whenthe locking by said lock mechanism is released, is opened away from saidportable electronic device main body.